2030REFUGEE EDUCATION

A Strategy for Refugee Inclusion 2019 EDITION

A MESSAGE FROM FILIPPO GRANDI, HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES

I am pleased to share Refugee Education 2030: A Strategy for Refugee Inclusion. Refugee Education 2030 was

developed after a two-year consultative and collaborative process with stakeholders across UNHCR and partners,

including other UN agencies, international organisations, multilateral organizations, governments, education

networks, the private sector and refugee communities.

This update of UNHCR’s 2012-2016 Refugee Education Strategy aims to ensure that refugees are increasingly

accounted for in education sector planning goals and action plans; that refugee and host community students are

prepared equitably to succeed in national systems wherever they live; and that the particular learning needs of

refugee and host community students are addressed by expanding existing programmes and partner investments

in support of innovative local solutions. The strategy aims to translate the arrangements set out in the Global

Compact on Refugees into action, applying the principles of solidarity and responsibility-sharing and drawing on

cooperation between humanitarian and development education partners. In this way, refugee children and youth,

and the host communities that welcome them, can experience increased access to quality learning opportunities

from pre-school through to tertiary education.

Refugee Education 2030 sets out a vision for the inclusion of refugee children and youth in equitable quality

education that contributes to resilience and prepares them for participation in cohesive societies. It aims to

foster the conditions, partnerships, collaboration and approaches that lead to all refugee, asylum seeker, returnee

and stateless children and youth and their hosting communities, including the internally displaced in those

communities, to access education that enables them to learn, thrive and develop their potential.

The strategy sets out ways of achieving progress through partnership, collaborative learning, capacity

development, innovation, evidence and growth, and is intended to provide inspiration and guidance for a wide

spectrum of stakeholders both within and outside of UNHCR.

UNHCR has been grateful for the opportunities for discussion and debate that the writing of this strategy has

made possible. We have been encouraged by the ambition of humanitarian and development partners to include

refugee children and youth in the vision of the 2030 Global Agenda for Education. We strive with all partners,

including refugees themselves, to make meaningful contributions to education for the benefit of all children and

youth where refugees live, learn and play.

Sincerely,

Filippo Grandi, High Commissioner for Refugees

© United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, September 2019

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Vision .....................................................................................9

Mission ..................................................................................9

Rationale ..............................................................................9

Targets ................................................................................12

Scope and Alignment ...................................................14

Strategic Objectives and Approaches ..................15

Who Can Help and How? ...........................................33

Acknowledgements ......................................................39

Acronyms ..........................................................................40

Appendices .......................................................................41

Endnotes ............................................................................52

Statements of Support ................................................54

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A Strategy for Refugee Inclusion 3

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REFUGEE EDUCATION 2030 4

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Refugee Education 2030: A Strategy for Refugee

Inclusion aims to contribute directly to the following

goals of the Global Compact on Refugees1:

» Ease the pressures on host countries

» Enhance refugee self-reliance

» Support conditions in countries of origin for return

in safety and dignity

The strategy arises from lessons learned about

parallel education provision for refugees reflected in

the 2011 Review of refugee education, and from the

experience of shifting to national education service

provision across a wide range of distinct contexts

as a result of the guidance provided in the 2012-

2016 UNHCR Refugee Education Strategy. It is also

informed by partner and UNHCR collaboration and

innovations, new or amplified partnerships with

ministries of education and planning, refugee youth,

civil society, development and humanitarian donors

and the private sector, greater UNHCR internal

capacity and significant international commitments

related to the Global Compact on Refugees.

As the lead for refugee protection,2 UNHCR maintains

its commitment to and support for refugees and

host governments until solutions for all refugees are

identified. UNHCR has nearly 70 years of experience

developing legal frameworks, policy, guidance and

programming informed by monitoring and evaluation

results, annual participatory assessments and

research about and with refugee communities. It

works daily and directly with refugees, governments

and partners at field, country, regional and global

levels. It therefore assumes a global leadership

role to ensure that decisions and actions related to

education for refugees in emergency and protracted

situations are considered through the lenses of legal

frameworks, historical experience and emerging

displacement trends. UNHCR aims to draw attention

to education needs in hosting communities, create

conditions for partnership and action that result

in strengthened education systems that benefit

all learners, leverage the comparable strengths of

various partners in mixed situations for improved

coherence across population groups and make

meaningful and collaborative contributions to the

goals of the 2030 Global Agenda for Education (2030

Agenda).

5A Strategy for Refugee Inclusion

The global displacement situation is evolving

rapidly and has attracted so many new partners

whose valuable contributions deserve to be shared,

adapted, amplified or scaled. In consequence, this

iteration of the Refugee Education 2030 strategy has

been conceived as a living document. Before the

end of 2019, it will be housed on an online platform

which will provide access to an evolving repository

of promising practices, case studies, guidance, and

other support linked to its strategic objectives and

approaches. Governments, partners and UNHCR staff

embarking on changes or grappling with persistent

barriers will be able to see how others are practically

shifting the ways and means of education response

for people of concern and their host communities, and

what new questions and issues arise as they approach

the 2030 goal of equitable, quality education for all.

The platform will also serve as a longitudinal archive

of experience for analysis, review and evaluation and

contribute to reporting for the quadrennial Global

Refugee Forums. Regular updates related to school

participation data, as well as achievements and

challenges related to education issues, will be collated

for the annual UNHCR Education Report.

Refugee Education 2030’s vision: Inclusion in

equitable quality education in national systems

contributes to resilience, prepares children and youth

for participation in cohesive societies and is the best

policy option for refugees, displaced and stateless

children and youth and their hosting communities.

Mission: In line with the 2018 Global Compact on

Refugees and the 2030 Agenda, this strategy aims

to foster the conditions, partnerships, collaboration

and approaches that lead to all refugee, asylum

seeker, returnee and stateless children and youth and

their hosting communities, including the internally

displaced in those communities, to access inclusive

and equitable quality education that enables them

to learn, thrive and develop their potential, build

individual and collective resilience and contribute to

peaceful coexistence and civil society.

Targets: Pre-primary, primary and secondary

education enrolment targets for 2030 will be

measured at country level against the official net

enrolment reported for host communities.3 These

will be disaggregated by gender to ensure visibility

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6 REFUGEE EDUCATION 2030

of girls and young women, and increasingly as data

commitments4 made by global consortia bear fruit,

children and youth with disabilities. This approach

will allow partners and UNHCR to track meaningful

trends in specific contexts for populations whose

numbers have been shifting dramatically in recent

years.

The tertiary education target for 2030 is to enrol

15% of college-eligible refugees in tertiary, technical

and vocational education and training (TVET) or

connected education programmes in host and

third countries, and to achieve equitable gender

representation across tertiary enrolments.

Rationale: Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4)

aims for free and quality pre-primary, primary,

secondary, literacy and skills-focused education

leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes. It

also underscores the importance of equitable access

for all children and youth.

In 2018 at least 35% of refugee children were not

attending primary school programmes and at least

75% of adolescents were not attending secondary

school. Innovations and partner action in response to

the Syria crisis improved access to tertiary education

by over 100% between 2011-2017 but in 2018 only

3% of refugees were enrolled in tertiary education

globally compared to 37% of non-refugee students.

Because of the current tendency towards protracted

situations, and because the majority of refugees live

in developing or least developed countries globally,

Refugee Education 2030 proposes coherent action

across humanitarian and development responses

that supports inclusion of all students in host country

education systems, regardless of legal status,

gender or disability. It calls on UNHCR and sister

agency staff, governments, inter-governmental and

regional organisations, donors, bi- and multi-lateral

organisations, INGOs, the private sector, individual

philanthropists, national civil society organisations

(CSOs) and academics to work collectively according

to their strengths and mandates. The collective

aim is to assist host governments to fulfill their

commitments to refugee protection and create the

conditions for inclusion of refugees and other persons

of concern in quality education programmes through

national school systems.

Scope and alignment: This strategy applies in all

contexts in which UNHCR works. It reflects an

understanding that the right to education is an

enabling right for children and youth of all ages and

abilities and provides a foundation for protection

in current and future situations. It also reflects the

distinct legal status and rights of refugees, asylum

seekers and stateless persons under international

laws that guide UNHCR’s responses and actions.

These include the 1951 Convention Relating to

the Status of Refugees and the 1954 Convention

relating to the Status of Stateless Persons.5 The

strategy aligns with core global policy frameworks6

for education development, including the Convention

on the Rights of the Child7 and SDG4, which calls for

collective action to ensure “inclusive and equitable

quality education and promote lifelong learning

opportunities for all.”8

Strategic Objectives and Approaches: Inclusion

in national systems for those who have not had

access to education is a process. Steps toward

education systems inclusive of persons of concern

need to reflect both system preparation and student

preparation. The three strategic objectives of Refugee Education 2030 are:

1. Promote equitable and sustainable inclusion in

national education systems for refugees, asylum

seekers, returnees, stateless and internally

displaced persons;

2. Foster safe, enabling environments that support

learning for all students, regardless of legal status,

gender or disability;

3. Enable learners to use their education toward

sustainable futures.

The objectives, as well as ways of achieving them

through the strategic approaches of partnership,

collaborative learning, capacity development,

innovation, evidence and growth are described fully

in the body of this strategy. They are intended to

provide both inspiration and guidance for a wide

spectrum of stakeholders.

A Strategy for Refugee Inclusion 7

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8 REFUGEE EDUCATION 2030

2030REFUGEE EDUCATION

A Strategy for Refugee Inclusion

VISIONInclusion9 in equitable quality education in national

systems contributes to resilience, prepares children

and youth for participation in cohesive societies, and

is the best option for refugees, displaced and stateless

children and youth and their hosting communities.

MISSIONIn line with the 2018 Global Compact on Refugees

and the 2030 Agenda, this strategy aims to foster

the conditions, partnerships, collaboration and

approaches that lead to all refugee, asylum seeker,

returnee and stateless children and youth and

their hosting communities, including the internally

displaced in those communities, to access inclusive

and equitable quality education that enables them

to learn, thrive and develop their potential, build

individual and collective resilience, and contribute to

peaceful coexistence and civil society.

RATIONALEFrom the publication of its Policy on Alternatives

to Camps (2014), to the United Nations General

Assembly adoption of the New York Declaration

and Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework

(2016), and the Global Compact on Refugees (2018),

UNHCR has progressively oriented its institutional

approaches, strategic directions, frameworks and

partnerships to serve a refugee reality that does

not always conform to what people imagine refugee

reality to be. In the global imagination, most refugees

are displaced temporarily, receive concentrated

lifesaving support in camps and then return home to

resume their briefly interrupted lives.

A Strategy for Refugee Inclusion 9

In such a scenario, it is easy to imagine temporary

education as well, one that mimics the education

at home, even if it is not certified by authorities in

the home country, because surely the displacement

situation will be resolved next week or next month

or next year. In any case: soon. The newly displaced

frequently believe this as well. Assumptions that

short term humanitarian support and approaches

were sufficient shaped earlier approaches to

refugee education. These were often based on use

of country of origin curriculum, administered in

parallel to national education systems that were

neither supervised nor certified by country of asylum

education authorities, and had no vision of students

as eventual contributors to family or local economies.

These assumptions have given way to a new

understanding that short term approaches to

refugee education are insufficient and inappropriate

to displacement realities, which require medium-

to longer-term development perspectives10 and

opportunities for knowledge and skills acquisition

that lead to economic inclusion well beyond the

margins of informal economies.

At the end of 2018, 15.9 million refugees were

living in protracted situations.11 This represented

78% of all refugees, compared with 66% in 2017.

Of this number, 5.8 million were in a situation

lasting 20 years or more. In addition, there were

10.1 million refugees in protracted situations of

less than 20 years, more than half represented by

the displacement situation of Syrians in Egypt, Iraq,

Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey.

Trends in geographic crisis patterns and protracted

displacement have led to a situation in which

developing regions shoulder a disproportionately

large responsibility for hosting refugees. In 2018,

Least Developed Countries, including Bangladesh,

Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC),

Ethiopia, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania,

Uganda, and Yemen hosted 6.7 million refugees, 33%

of the global total. Nine of the top ten refugee-hosting

countries were in developing regions and 84% of

refugees lived in these countries.12

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10 REFUGEE EDUCATION 2030

As of 2019, Uganda hosts the largest number of

refugees in Africa. Its 2018 Education Response

Plan for Refugees and Host Communities in

Uganda (ERP) represents a step forward for

refugee education globally. It provides an

example for engagement of both development

and humanitarian education expertise and

assistance in a context where significant numbers

of out-of-school refugee children are hosted in

communities striving for improved education

service delivery.

The ERP was developed within the

Comprehensive Refugee Response

Framework (CRRF) by the Uganda Ministry

of Education and Sports, with support from

international donors, UN agencies and

development organisations. The Office of

the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Local

Government, with UNHCR playing a catalytic

role, coordinates implementation of the ERP

Framework.

The ERP was developed to align closely with

Uganda’s Education Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP)

for 2017-2020. It aims to improve access to and

quality of learning across all forms of education

in Uganda’s 12 refugee-hosting districts, through

activities including:

• Constructing new classrooms and repairing

existing ones;

• Providing essential materials such as

textbooks, desks and stationery;

• Addressing teacher gaps and capacity to

deliver quality education to refugees and host

community learners;

• Strengthening the national and district level

education system for effective and sustainable

service delivery;

• Getting older youth who had dropped out

of school back into education, through

Accelerated Education Programmes and

vocational training; and

• Piloting innovations in education.

In such a reality, humanitarian response and

approaches alone, including for education, are not

sufficient to support governments in development

contexts to fulfill their responsibilities to protect

refugees. Because of this, UNHCR seeks to encourage

and support hybrid humanitarian and development

approaches that:

• anticipate protraction,

• leverage agile humanitarian action and funding,

• harmonize with the long-term vision and financing

of development planning, and

• result in amplified, sustainable, systemic support to

host countries that benefit displaced and stateless

children and youth and the often-underserved host

communities that welcome them.

Creating synergies between humanitarian and

development responses is an essential element of the

Global Compact on Refugees.

Creating parallel education systems for the

displaced no longer makes sense. Inclusion can

create conditions conducive to conflict mitigation

and prevention, without implying pull factors. This is

fundamental to the “inclusive societies” commitment

expressed in Sustainable Development Goal 16, and

to achieving the Comprehensive Refugee Response

Framework goal of countering “racism, racial

discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance

against refugees and migrants.”

The foundation for Refugee Education 2030 is the

Global Compact on Refugees, and all that preceded

it, including the UNHCR Education Strategy 2012-

2016. It reflects UNHCR’s catalytic role as convener,

mobilizer, liaison and partnership builder in and

across the borderland where humanitarian and

development education actions can converge more

meaningfully. It also affirms UNHCR’s leadership

role regarding decisions related to education where

governments do not yet practically support education

for all persons of concern. Refugee and partner

advocacy, lessons, evidence, partnerships and state

building developments across a wide array of hosting

contexts during and since the rollout of the 2012-

2016 Education Strategy inform each of its objectives.

Finally, it acknowledges the need to engage in

effective collaboration with other partners in mixed

response settings where the education of internally

displaced persons (IDPs) must also be addressed.

A Strategy for Refugee Inclusion 11

Finally, this strategy builds upon the momentum

of initiatives spearheaded by regional experts and

stakeholders. Among many such regional initiatives,

notable influences are: Agenda 2063: The Africa We

Want; the Continental Education Strategy for Africa

2016-2025 (CESA 16-25) the Pan African High Level

Conference on Education and its Nairobi Declaration

and Call for Action on Education; The Abidjan

Principles; Declaracion de Buenos Aires; The Djibouti

Declaration; the Dubai Roadmap for Education 2030

in the Arab Region (2017-2018) and the Strasbourg

Declaration. Additionally, the 2018 UNESCO Brussels

Declaration resulted in a commitment to include

migrants, displaced persons and refugees in education

and training systems and to facilitate the recognition

of their qualifications, skills and competencies.

TARGETSEducation data analyzed in 2019 indicate that overall

enrolment rates have remained largely stable since

UNHCR synthesized education data, in 2016, for

its first annual global report on education: 63% and

24% net enrolment at primary and secondary level

respectively, and 3% enrolment at tertiary level.

Steady increases in the global refugee and asylum

seeker populations conceal achievements in absolute

terms.13

While this shows significant progress in enrolment

rates, the goal for 2030 is to close the enrolment

gap between displaced children and the rest of the

population. Indeed, to achieve the goal of ensuring

inclusive and equitable quality education, greater

inclusion of displaced populations and the host

communities that welcome them is necessary.

PRE-PRIMARY, PRIMARY AND SECONDARYPre-primary, primary and secondary education

enrolment targets for 2030 will be measured at

country level against the official net enrolment

reported for host communities.14 UNHCR will provide

ministries of education at national and/or district

levels with data and/or data analyses disaggregated

by age and gender to facilitate improved monitoring

of progress towards parity for girls and young women

STATELESSNESS INFORMATIONConsiderable gains have been achieved since the

launch of the End of Statelessness Campaign. Still,

in 2018, 70% of stateless persons belonged to

minority groups, so UNHCR continues to monitor

progress closely. In countries where there is no

ongoing process for stateless persons to acquire

citizenship or during this lengthy process, UNHCR

advocates for inclusion of stateless children and

youth in national education systems as it does

for refugees, asylum seekers and returnees. This

includes the right to transition between education

levels such as primary to secondary and to

participate in other education tracks from non-

formal to vocational.

GOOD PRACTICE THAILAND

Thailand has an “Education for All” policy which

includes stateless persons. Stateless children

have access to primary and secondary education

in Thailand’s public schools. This very positive

policy environment doesn’t always mean that

adolescents can finish their studies. Refugee

family economies are sometimes too constrained

to absorb costs related to education participation.

When it comes to higher education, most families

do not have the financial resources to pay for

this. Stateless persons are not yet eligible for

government loans to pursue higher education.

MIXED AND IDP SITUATIONS

UNHCR will continue to advocate for access to

inclusive and equitable quality education for all

refugee, asylum seeker, returnee and stateless

children and youth and their hosting communities,

including the internally displaced in those

communities. In mixed situations involving both

refugees and internally displaced persons, where

the Education Cluster has not been activated

and there is no adequate national capacity,

UNHCR will, upon request of the Ministry of

Education, catalyze partners and support the

government to respond to the education needs of

internally displaced populations.

REFUGEE EDUCATION 2030 12

across education cycles. UNHCR will also provide

data on children and youth with disabilities, and as

data commitments made by global consortia begin to

bear fruit,15 support improved access for all students

with disabilities, and equitable access for refugees

with disabilities.

A country-by-country approach will allow partners

and UNHCR to track meaningful trends in specific

countries and regions for refugee populations whose

numbers have been shifting dramatically in recent

years. It will also draw concentrated attention to the

contexts with the greatest needs, as global averages

tend to dull the sharpest disparities. In each country

where UNHCR is present, it will strive to ensure

that refugee and host community children and

youth receive equitable access according to national

standards, and progressively greater access over time.

UNHCR will also leverage its working relationships

with the Global Partnership for Education, the World

Bank and multilateral development banks, sister

agencies and others to influence assessment, planning

and implementation of education programming.

This will address the specific needs of both refugee

and host communities in resource-restricted

environments.

Country-level targets will give stakeholders the

opportunity to objectively monitor progress and

address enrolment gaps in the framework of national

education sector plans. These enrolment targets

should be calculated for refugees and, where available

data allows, for IDPs and stateless populations.

TERTIARYThe goal for 2030 is to achieve enrolment of 15%

of college-eligible refugees in tertiary or connected

higher education programmes in host and third

countries. Enrolment of young refugee women should

be on par with that of men. Where conditions evolve

in individual countries and the potential for expanded

access and therefore higher targets become apparent,

UNHCR welcomes an upward adjustment of

expectations.

THE TERTIARY CHALLENGE

Tertiary education enrolment targets follow a

slightly different logic than those for formal basic

education. Achieving parity or close-to parity

with national higher education enrolment rates

is not realistic by 2030 given the barriers refugee

students face when it comes to higher education.

The primary barrier is the currently limited

number of eligible refugee secondary school

graduates. Additional barriers include:

• low number of higher education institutions

and available places;

• distance to campuses and movement

restrictions;

• low number of students graduating from

secondary school, particularly girls;

• high tuition and fees;

• restrictions on fields of study open to refugees;

• lack of academic certification required for

admission;

• lack of reliable power and connectivity for

connected higher education programming;

• demands to contribute to family financial

sustainability taking priority over higher

education;

• additional barriers that affect female refugee

enrolment disproportionately; and

• additional barriers, compounding those already

present at primary level, faced by youth with

disabilities.

Raising the level of refugee participation in

higher education from 3% to 15% over the next

ten years represents an ambitious but feasible

goal. Given the array of options through which to

expand access to tertiary education – including

in TVET, connected and traditional degree and

diploma programmes, third country scholarships,

education pathways and national inclusion –

increases in each, along with the continued

engagement and commitment of partners and

host countries, will make achieving 15% access

possible.

A Strategy for Refugee Inclusion 13

SCOPE AND ALIGNMENTRefugee Education 2030 applies in all contexts in

which UNHCR works. It reflects an understanding

that the right to education is an enabling right for

all children and youth of all ages and abilities and

provides a foundation for protection in current and

future situations. It reflects the distinct legal status

and rights of refugees, asylum seekers, returnees and

stateless people under international laws that guide

UNHCR’s responses and actions, specifically the

1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees

and the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of

Stateless Persons.16 It aligns with core global policy

frameworks17 for education development, including

the Convention on the Rights of the Child18 and SDG4.

Refugee Education 2030’s strategic approaches

reflect this key principle of the Global Compact

on Refugees: “to operationalize the principles of

burden- and responsibility-sharing to better protect

and assist refugees and support host countries and

communities.”

Guided by the fundamental principle of national

system inclusion,19 this strategy reaffirms

UNHCR’s commitment to inclusive and equitable

quality education for all, throughout all phases of

displacement, through traditional and innovative

delivery models, and across the full continuum

of formal and non-formal education programme

opportunities. This means programmes supervised

by national authorities: early childhood education,

primary, secondary, tertiary, technical and vocational

education and training (TVET) and non-formal

education that leads to academic or professional

certification. Education for displaced children and

youth and their host communities requires collective

global responsibility. Building from its strong base

in refugee and asylum seeker communities, its role

in facilitating returns when protection conditions

are sufficient, and its duty to represent the needs

of stateless people, UNHCR is responsible for and

committed to strengthening existing education

partnership structures and links among and between

communities, governments, private sector, and

development and humanitarian actors.

UNHCR strongly discourages investment in informal

education20 when it is presented as a substitute

for formal or non-formal education or that doesn’t

provide pathways leading to further accredited

learning. It also discourages any investment in

private education that runs parallel to or in place

of public education or weakens the ability of states

and civil society to assess, plan for and deliver public

education.

Shared global responsibility

Specific acknowledgement that

the protection of refugees and

assistance to host States are a

shared international responsibility.

Whole of society approach

Even stronger partnerships between

host governments including

line ministries, UN Agencies,

development actors, the private

sector, NGOs, financial institutions,

and civil society.

Supporting host countries

Providing them with additional and

predictable humanitarian funding

and development support.

Well-funded emergency responses

Pledge to meet the needs of refugees

and host communities at the start of

emergencies.

Self-reliance

Commitment to include refugees

in national development plans and

invest in the future of refugees and

local communities alike.

Enhancing durable solutions

Commit to wider avenues for

refugees through resettlement and

complementary pathways.

GOALS OF THE GLOBAL COMPACT ON REFUGEES

14 REFUGEE EDUCATION 2030

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES AND APPROACHESAccess to inclusive and equitable quality education

in national systems creates conditions in which

children and youth can learn, thrive and develop their

potential, build individual and collective resilience,

experience and negotiate peaceful coexistence, and

contribute to their societies.

Refugee, asylum seeker, returnee, stateless children

and youth and the communities that host them seek

these benefits, across all levels of education, in the

same ways children and youth not affected daily by

conflict or persecution do. The Strategic Objectives

provide guidance for UNHCR and partners to answer

the question: What are we aiming for? when we seek

to create the conditions for equitable, inclusive

education for refugees and host communities. The

Strategic Approaches focus on: How do we get there? The objectives and approaches are not significantly

different from those in the 2012-2016 Refugee Education Strategy, but they have been refined by

experience, evidence, and opportunity, and align with

global SDG4 commitments and the Global Compact

on Refugees.

Figure 1. Global number of children and adolescents who do not achieve minimum

proficiency levels in reading, by age group, region and sex

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics

250

Central and Southern Asia

Sub-Saharan Africa

Eastern and South-Eastern Asia

Western Asia and Northern Africa

Latin America and the Caribbean

Northern America and Europe

Oceania

200

0

150

100

50

� Total

� Primary school-age girls

� Lower secondary school-age girls

� Primary school-age boys

� Lower secondary school-age boys

A Strategy for Refugee Inclusion 15

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVESInclusion in national systems for those who have

not had access is a process, and steps taken toward

education systems inclusive of persons of concern

need to reflect both system preparation and student

preparation. The three Strategic Objectives of Refugee Education 2030 are:

1. Promote equitable and sustainable inclusion in

national education systems for refugees, asylum

seekers, returnees, stateless and internally

displaced persons;

2. Foster safe, enabling environments that support

learning for all students, regardless of legal status,

gender or disability;

3. Enable learners to use their education toward

sustainable futures.

A consolidated table of results targeted by these

objectives is available in Appendix A.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 1: PROMOTE EQUITABLE AND SUSTAINABLE INCLUSION IN NATIONAL EDUCATION SYSTEMS FOR REFUGEES, ASYLUM SEEKERS, RETURNEES, STATELESS AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS

Examples of enabling activities for Strategic

Objective 1 appear in Appendix B.

To deliver on SDG4 it is necessary to include all

children and youth in accredited and accountable

early childhood education and accredited primary

and secondary education as soon as possible after

displacement. Access to TVET and tertiary education

are also important. The Global Compact on Refugees

emphasizes that “more direct financial support and

special efforts will be mobilized to minimize the time

refugee boys and girls spend out of education, ideally

a maximum of three months after arrival.”

It is not uncommon for host communities to

experience similar learning and access challenges

as forcibly displaced communities. Global attention

directed to a refugee emergency can bring coherent

humanitarian and development education efforts

that support governments to fulfil their domestic and

international responsibilities.

THE CHALLENGE OF QUALITY EDUCATION IN CRISIS AFFECTED REGIONS

Given the known statistical differences between

the educational access of refugees and other

students globally, and the compounding factors

that make refugee experiences at least as

challenging as those of the most vulnerable

people in their host countries, we can assume that

many refugees face learning issues in line with the

2017 UIS global findings on learning proficiency.35

Globally, six out of ten children and adolescents

are not achieving minimum proficiency levels

(MLPs) in reading and mathematics (see Figure 1

for reading). The total – 617 million – includes

more than 387 million children of primary school

age (about 6 to 11 years old) and 230 million

adolescents of lower secondary school age (about

12 to 14 years old). This means that more than

one-half – 56% – of all children won’t be able to

read or handle mathematics with proficiency

by the time they are of age to complete primary

education. The proportion is even higher

for adolescents, with 61% unable to achieve

minimum proficiency levels when they should be

completing lower secondary school.

In 2016,36 UIS estimated that by 2030, countries

would need to recruit an additional 3.4 million

primary school teachers and 16.7 million

secondary school teachers in order to address

the quality gaps SDG4 seeks to close. As refugees

tend to settle alongside the more vulnerable in

host communities, finding ways to not only recruit

and retain significant numbers of teachers and

other education support staff, but to ensure that

they reach neighborhoods and regions where

students and schools experience the greatest

challenges to quality education could become one

of the most important opportunities available

through improved articulation between domestic,

humanitarian and development action in crisis-

affected regions.

REFUGEE EDUCATION 2030 16

A focus on inclusion from the emergency phase

forward lays the foundation for sustainable benefits

to all children and youth over the longer term. This

means effectively and sustainably:

• determining the protection needs of the most

vulnerable so that families don’t have to sacrifice

their children’s education because of costs and

other barriers related to participation in school;

• leveraging initial humanitarian contributions

towards education so that they align with national

policy and conflict-sensitive planning;

• establishing working relationships with

governments at local, regional and national levels;

• reinforcing existing systems so that they are able to

meet the needs of refugees and host communities;

• ensuring coherence between domestic,

humanitarian and development approaches;

• fostering innovations to aid in strengthening

existing systems for the benefit of all.

Inclusion is based on strong working relationships

with host country governments and ministries

of education. It reflects a commitment to

international solidarity and responsibility-sharing.

UNHCR’s Strategic Directions 2017-2021 define

“responsibility-sharing” in this way:

[We will] engage with international development

actors and financial institutions to secure the

inclusion of refugees, internally displaced, and

stateless people in the strategies, planning and

financing instruments of development programmes,

with a view to strengthening the capacity of national

services and systems to respond to their needs (p. 23).

THE CHALLENGE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION In line with Sustainable Development Goal 4,

this strategy recognizes the importance of Early

Childhood Education (ECE), noting the critical

role it has in improving children’s survival, health,

growth and cognitive and social development.

As with other levels of education, systematic and

sustainable support to amplify the availability

and quality of ECE for the benefit of all learners

in national education systems provides the best

opportunity for equity and quality over time.

The Global Compact on Refugees encourages

‘…additional support … to expand educational

facilities (including for early childhood

development…).’ Through working closely with

relevant ministries and strategic partnerships

between organizations engaged in the area of

ECE, UNHCR focuses on the significant gaps in

ECE programme availability. It also participates

in creating improved opportunities for equitable

access to ECE for host and displaced populations,

with particular attention to access for girls and

students with disabilities.

We allow this [inclusion] because this issue of global education is universal. It’s not a country-based policy…. So we can’t say that Rwandans should complete 12 [years of schooling] but others who are in Rwanda shouldn’t study. It’s even a human right to allow these children, whether they come from Rwanda or other countries, to come and complete their studies.”

District government official, Rwanda

A Strategy for Refugee Inclusion 17

GOOD PRACTICES TURKEY

The education sector response in Turkey, led by the

government of Turkey, provides some useful insights

into the education policy choices that states must

make in response to large-scale refugee movements

and transitions from short-term, immediate

solutions to the more institutionalised, systemic

and sustainable approaches in protracted refugee

situations.

In 2018 Turkey was the largest refugee hosting

country in the world for the third consecutive year.21

Of the 3.5 million Syrians hosted by Turkey in that

year, almost one million22 were school-aged children

whose right to receive education is guaranteed under

both international and Turkish law.

As of 2013, 64% of Syrian refugees resided in urban

areas and this number continued to rise to 93% in

201823. Coinciding with the increase in refugees living

in urban areas, there was a proliferation of informal

schools or temporary education centres (TECs)

established for refugee children by well-intentioned

philanthropic individuals, NGOs (international

and local) and faith-based organisations. UNICEF

provided financial support for the running costs

of TECs and to pay incentives to Syrian teachers.

Instruction was offered in Arabic, making use of a

modified form of the Syrian curriculum and staffed

by volunteer teachers. The establishment of these

schools was largely unregulated and operated

outside of the national system, with very limited

quality assurance of instructional content and little

standardisation of the certification of learning at

the end of either the 9th or 12th grades. A needs

assessment conducted in 2013 by the Prime Ministry

for Disaster and Emergency Management estimated

that only 14% of refugee children in urban areas were

attending school.24

In late 2014, the Turkish Ministry of National

Education issued a circular.25 The circular established

a regulatory framework within which these

schools could operate and placed them under the

coordination of the Ministry. In the two years that

followed, there was greater standardization in

provision of education, data management and the

regulation of organizations wishing to support these

OBJECTIVE 1: PROMOTE EQUITABLE AND SUSTAINABLE INCLUSION IN NATIONAL EDUCATION SYSTEMS

FOR REFUGEES, ASYLUM SEEKERS, RETURNEES, STATELESS AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS

1 National policy and emergency preparedness create the conditions to include forcibly displaced and stateless children and youth in schools and programmes registered with the ministry of education.

Expected Result 1 By inclusion in:

National policy and emergency

preparedness create the conditions

to include forcibly displaced and

stateless children and youth in schools

and programmes registered with the

ministry of education.

national education policy

national development plans and strategies, including planning for

deployment of teachers and other education personnel

national and subnational education sector plans

national education sector assessments and joint reviews

national budgeting for education

Education Management Information Systems (EMIS)

18 REFUGEE EDUCATION 2030

schools. The 2014 circular also underscored the fact

that Syrian families could chose to either enrol their

children in these “temporary education centres” or

in Turkish public schools. In 2015, more than 80%

of Syrian children attending school were enrolled in

temporary education centres26.

As the Syria crisis entered its fifth year, the

government of Turkey announced its plans to

ensure that, over time, all Syrian refugee children

would be integrated in the national education

system. This decision was motivated by the need to

ensure a sustainable education response, meeting

standards for educational quality and offering official

certification of learning. The implementation of this

policy meant that close to one million children would

need to be absorbed into the national system and

issues such as school infrastructure and preparing

teachers to work effectively with students with varied

educational experiences and low levels of proficiency

in the language of instruction had to be addressed.

The Ministry mandated that all temporary education

centres should offer 15 hours of Turkish language

instruction per week in order to prepare students

for the transition to Turkish schools. The Ministry,

with the financial support of the EU-funded Facility

for Refugees in Turkey27, implemented a large-scale

project through which Turkish language classes,

academic support programmes, school materials

and subsidized transportation could be provided,

and teachers could receive additional training.

Further funding was provided to build new schools

in order to accommodate new students and reduce

overcrowding in refugee-hosting areas.

As of the end of the 2017/2018 school year, 63% of

all Syrian children enrolled in education programmes

were attending Turkish public schools and it is

expected that this number will increase to include all

Syrian children.

The successful inclusion of Syrian children in the

national education system is also an example of the

practical application of the principles of responsibility

sharing and collaboration between host governments,

the international community and other organizations

outlined in the Global Compact on Refugees.

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A Strategy for Refugee Inclusion 19

2 Approaches to education in the humanitarian and development sectors are harmonized for inclusion.

Expected Result 2 So that:

Approaches to education in the

humanitarian and development

sectors are harmonized for

inclusion.

planning and budgetary processes are multi-year, cover all phases of

displacement from emergency through protracted situations, and take

into account learning needs for successful inclusion

international and domestic financing to support inclusion approaches is

sustained and predictable

GOOD PRACTICE LEARNING NEEDS

The Connected Learning in Crisis Consortium has

created a series of guidelines on higher education

blended learning programmes in its Quality

Guidelines Playbook. The Quality Guidelines are

available online. They cover issues such as access to

higher education, learning pathway design, connected

education pedagogies and academic support. In

2019 the Guidelines will be used to create a Digital

Playbook, which will be an interactive website where

partners can upload case studies and lessons learnt.

The Accelerated Education Working group is a

strong example of the ‘new way of working’ within the

humanitarian/development nexus proposed by the

United Nations Framework for Assistance (UNDAF)

and the Global Compact on Refugees among other

instruments, as it has strengthened collaboration and

partnerships, and improved programme quality for

both refugees and host communities. Accelerated

Education provides opportunities for flexible,

accredited education access for children and youth

who have difficulty accessing the standard formal

education system. The working group is currently

led by UNHCR with representation from UNICEF,

UNESCO, USAID, Norwegian Refugee Council,

Plan, the International Rescue Committee, Save the

Children, Education and Conflict Crisis Network and

War Child Holland.

Since its inception in 2014, the working group has

developed, field tested and launched a conceptual

framework for what constitutes good practice in

Accelerated Education. The development of the 10

Principles for Effective Practice, and Guide to the

Principles and Learning Agenda have provided a

foundation for improving programme quality, design,

implementation and evidence. These tools and

guidance have been disseminated through workshops

co-hosted by UNHCR and other partners, with

participants from government as well as agencies and

INGO partners that work both with refugees and host

communities.

Recent examples of accelerated education

achievements include:

Uganda: the ministry of education, the Accelerated

Education Working Group and partners in country

are developing National Accelerated Education

Guidelines based on the Principles.

South Sudan: Oxfam Ibis recently used the Principles

in an evaluation of an Accelerated Education

Programme.

Mali: the ministry of education is developing a

National Strategy for Accelerated Education

to harmonize programming and measure key

performance indicators.

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3 Children and youth have access to all levels of formal and non-formal education within national education systems and under the same conditions as nationals.

Expected Result 3 This means that all children and youth:

Children and youth

have access to all

levels of formal and

non-formal education

within national

education systems

and under the same

conditions as nationals.

have documentation that provides equal access to school and examinations, or are

accommodated when documentation is missing

are accounted for in education sector planning

receive recognition of prior learning and support to make up for gaps in studies

receive certification for their studies that can be recognized in multiple contexts

have unsegregated access to schools where they are learning together with national

children and youth

are supported in developing relationships with national peers and qualified teachers

are able to benefit from innovative education programming, including connected or

digital initiatives

have access to any assistance available that supports children and youth at risk of

exclusion, including girls, young women and people with disabilities

have access to equitable fee structures, free movement and systems for recognizing

prior learning to enable progression into tertiary education

have equitable access to school health programmes

have access to vaccinations and vaccination certificates (regardless of school

registration requirements, but also to ensure lack of vaccination and proof of

vaccination do not become a barrier to school registration)

RECOGNITION OF QUALIFICATIONS

UNHCR supports the current global effort, led by UNESCO, to conclude a Global Convention on the Recognition

of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in 2019. The Convention affirms that refugees deserve equal

treatment for certificate recognition.(endnote 28) Lack of certification and education documentation are

primary barriers to continuing or beginning higher education for refugees. UNHCR advocates for recognition of

qualifications at the country level, as well as for fees and admission procedures comparable to national students.

REFUGEE EDUCATION 2030 22

4 In situations where the legal framework and policy environment is not yet conducive to inclusion within national systems, non-formal education programming and learning assessment should be harmonized across partners and align with host country curricula and methods to the greatest degree possible. This will facilitate a recognizable pathway to equating the content of studies through ministry of education processes when conditions are favourable.

Expected Result 4 This means:

In situations where the legal framework and policy environment is not

yet conducive to inclusion within national systems, non-formal education

programming and learning assessment should be harmonized across partners

and align with host country curricula and methods to the greatest degree

possible. This will facilitate a recognizable pathway to equating the content of

studies through ministry of education processes when conditions are favourable.

efforts should be

complemented by

advocacy at all levels

and across all global and

national partnerships for

greater inclusion

5 Alternative pathways to education will be accessible in situations where formal academic education within national systems does not meet the learning needs of displaced or stateless out-of-school and/or over-age children and youth and their host communities, including those with disabilities.

Expected Result 5 This includes access to:

Alternative pathways to education

will be accessible in situations

where formal academic education

within national systems does

not meet the learning needs

of displaced or stateless out-

of-school and/or over-age

children and youth and their host

communities, including those with

disabilities.

dedicated programming to address missed schooling and language

differences

dedicated support to address the learning requirements of students with

disabilities, with a pathway to inclusion in the formal education system

accredited Accelerated Education Programmes within national

education systems

literacy programmes, linked with national literacy initiatives

accredited short-term and bridging programmes embedded within

national initiatives

connected education programmes

GOOD PRACTICE MALAYSIASometimes there are legal or policy barriers which

prevent refugee children from accessing the formal

education system. Such a situation occurred in Ma-

laysia. There were 30,000 refugee children of school

age there in 2018, some attending an informal parallel

system of community learning centers. 

UNHCR and its partners have worked closely with

these community learning centers to help them take

steps to align as much as possible with the formal

system. This includes encouraging centers to adopt

the Malaysian national curriculum, provide classes in

Bahasa Malaysia and administer end of primary school

achievement tests using the Malaysian Primary School

Evaluation Test as a template. Additionally, UNHCR

and partners have been able to forge links with groups

such as the National Retired Teachers’ Association

and to encourage them to offer their expertise in the

learning centers.

Along with ongoing advocacy with the relevant

government bodies, including the Ministry of

Education, these steps have paid off. After joint

ministerial visits to all community learning centers in

2017, the Ministry of Education selected 25 learning

centers catering to the Rohingya refugee population

in Malaysia as a pilot group that were registered and

provided with operating licenses in 2018. This is likely

to be extended to the remaining learning centers in

the coming years.

A Strategy for Refugee Inclusion 23

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 2: FOSTER SAFE ENABLING ENVIRONMENTS THAT SUPPORT LEARNING FOR ALL STUDENTS, REGARDLESS OF LEGAL STATUS, GENDER OR DISABILITY

Examples of enabling activities for Strategic

Objective 2 appear in Appendix C.

Most forcibly displaced persons live in settings where

local children also lack access to quality learning

opportunities. In 2017, the UNESCO Institute for

Statistics (UIS) reported that less than half of all

children meet basic proficiency levels in literacy and

numeracy, with far fewer developing the higher-

level critical skills that build personal development,

economic growth, and community development.28

Effective inclusion requires safe and accessible

learning environments, holistic learner support and

community engagement. Essential to this strategy

is working with ministries of education to bolster

systems so that they meet the needs of all learners.

Communities play an important role in this process

by identifying local solutions and approaches for

ensuring participation, especially of female students

and learners with disabilities, and by providing

community-based learning support.

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OBJECTIVE 2: FOSTER SAFE ENABLING ENVIRONMENTS THAT SUPPORT LEARNING FOR ALL STUDENTS,

REGARDLESS OF LEGAL STATUS, GENDER OR DISABILITY

1 Children and youth are prepared to learn and succeed in national education systems.

Expected Result 1 Children and youth:

Children and youth are prepared to learn and succeed in national education systems.

are supported to make up for missed schooling in preparation for entering formal

education at age-appropriate levels

are provided with adequate language training where necessary

will be provided with conditions that foster social and emotional learning (SEL), and

where needed, receive mental health and psychosocial support, allowing them to

concentrate, learn and develop healthy relationships29

receive support required to enable their access to the education system, including

assistive technology and accessible learning materials

are taught by teachers who have been adequately prepared to include refugee

children and learners with diverse learning requirements, including children and

youth with disabilities

2 Learning environments are safe.

Expected Result 2 Learning environments make sure that:

Learning environments

are safe.

students and educators are prepared to identify and report sexual and gender-based

violence (SGBV) risks and know where to find help to address their mental health and

psychosocial concerns30

conditions that encourage female participation are in place. These include pro-active

training and recruitment of female teachers; safely managed WASH facilities including

appropriate menstrual hygiene management facilities for girls, in accordance with

SDG 6; access to information on hygiene and reproductive health; girls-only spaces

for studying and socializing; equitable representation in all decision-making

schools respect diversity and commit to protecting learners of all ethnicities and

identities

student data is safeguarded to ensure the protection of individual students and

communities, as required

travel to and from school is safe and accessible for all children, including girls, young

women and students with disabilities

A Strategy for Refugee Inclusion 25

REFUGEE EDUCATION DATA AND PROTECTION

There are several issues at

play when considering the

best way to ensure refugee

and other displaced learner

data is collected according

to protection needs. First,

when data is collected at

school level, procedures

and methods to ensure

displaced students will not

face discrimination because

of their status need to be

established and systematized.

Collecting potentially sensitive

data such as legal status

needs to be evaluated on a

country-by-country basis,

and in collaboration with

UNHCR Protection and Data

colleagues.

3 Learning environments are accessible to all.

Expected Result 3 So that:

Learning

environments

are accessible

to all.

learning and WASH facilities enable equitable use by all learners, including learners with

disabilities

educators understand the learning and social challenges of learners with disabilities and

are supported to meet their diverse needs through flexible curricula, teaching and learning

materials and adapted procedures for completing exams

students with disabilities are provided with opportunities to build protective peer

networks with other children and youth

learning spaces leverage digital technologies to reach students studying with blended

learning programmes, to promote individualized learning experiences and to accommodate

student needs

learning environments utilize innovative pedagogical practices and platforms to improve

the quality and accessibility of education for all students, including those with disabilities

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26 REFUGEE EDUCATION 2030

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 3: ENABLE ALL LEARNERS TO USE THEIR EDUCATION TOWARD SUSTAINABLE FUTURES

Examples of enabling activities for Strategic Objective

3 appear in Appendix D.

Educated communities can achieve rapid generational

change through their creativity, energy and idealism.

Education enables children, youth and adults to use

their academic and practical knowledge, adapt to

changing circumstances, build decision-making and

peacebuilding skills, and express their needs and views

concerning decisions that affect them both where they

live now and in the future.

Education coupled with economic inclusion, community

development, and participation in peacebuilding

fosters the development of learners into productive

members of civil society. Future-ready skills such as

digital literacy, problem-solving, and intercultural

communication are critical for social engagement, and

therefore should be integrated throughout the cycle of

education so that learners are prepared for the world of

today and of tomorrow.

The opportunities afforded to displaced and stateless

communities hinge not only upon recognition of their

education, but also the legal right to work and the

ability to overcome systemic discriminatory practices.

I would like [refugees] to go away with something. And for me education would be key. Because even if they relocated to a different country today, they would go with the knowledge, they would go with a paper, something that would help them in their life and the years to come.”

NGO staff member working

with refugee youth, Kenya

GOOD PRACTICE EDUCATION AND CAREER READINESSWith significant funding for over a quarter of

a century from its principal donor, the German

Foreign Ministry, and additional funding from the

private sector and other governments, UNHCR’s

higher education scholarship programme, DAFI

(Albert Einstein German Academic Refugee

Initiative), plays a central role in enabling refugees

worldwide to access higher education.

The DAFI Plus programme in Pakistan, in

partnership with GIZ and funded by the German

Foreign Ministry, provides a suite of support

services that aim to capitalize on the academic

achievements of DAFI students and bridge their

tertiary studies to meaningful career outcomes.

The programme offers career readiness support

to 200 DAFI scholars through entrepreneurship,

negotiation and communication skills training.

Through this programme, 125 DAFI scholars

have been placed in on-the-job-training in

public, private and civil sector companies. The

programme incorporates a community outreach

component to make sure that accessible, relevant

information about the DAFI programme is shared

within communities and with community leaders

to explain the importance of higher education for

women and to expand the number of women who

apply for DAFI scholarships.

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OBJECTIVE 3: ENABLE ALL LEARNERS TO USE THEIR EDUCATION TOWARD SUSTAINABLE FUTURES

1 Children and youth complete their education with relevant skills, knowledge and competencies.

Expected Result 1 All children and youth are able to:

Children and youth

complete their

education with relevant

skills, knowledge and

competencies.

transition to subsequent levels of education

enter the world of work with fair and decent employment for which they are qualified

increase self-reliance

participate actively in communities (local, global and digital)

practice and foster peaceful coexistence

serve as environmental champions for their communities

contribute to an increasingly digitalized world both economically and socially

benefit from a sense of belonging wherever they live

play an active role in advocating for and developing solutions that contribute to

sustainable futures both nationally and globally

become critical consumers and creators of media in a variety of forms

2 Girls and women have equitable opportunities for and access to education, work, community representation and leadership.

Expected Result 2 Girls and women are able to:

Girls and women

have equitable

opportunities for and

access to education,

work, community

representation and

leadership.

benefit from programming designed in response to gender analyses embedded in

education sector assessments and monitoring

benefit equitably from community- or school-based early childhood education

programmes

complete primary and secondary school on par with boys

pursue and complete tertiary education on par with men at all levels, including TVET

be safe on the way to school, in school and within families and communities

engage in labour market opportunities and apprenticeships, including in technical,

professional and other fields not traditionally open to women

exercise ownership over management and control of household resources and cash-

based interventions (CBI)

access sustainable fuels to support environmental management and to diminish the

need for fuel collection, and where these are not yet available, share fuel collection

duties equally with boys and men during non-school hours

obtain individual registration and documentation, directly or through support

provided by UNHCR

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29A Strategy for Refugee Inclusion

STRATEGIC APPROACHESThree Strategic Approaches describe UNHCR’s ways

of working to ensure that the Strategy Objectives are

met:

1. Partnerships

2. Collaborative Learning and Capacity Development

3. Innovation, Evidence and Growth

PARTNERSHIPS

Partnership is central to bringing together the

diverse elements of Refugee Education 2030. It

drives UNHCR’s focus on bridging humanitarian and

development action in education.

The effect of displacement on education sector

planning, sometimes in the context of host country

hardship and significant internal population

movements; the return of refugee students to

home countries and schools they have sometimes

never attended; the challenges stateless people

have accessing enabling documentation required to

claim their international right to education among

other rights: these are complex situations taking

place in dynamic social and economic contexts, and

predominantly in developing countries.

UNHCR will lead and facilitate collective partnership

action that leverages the agility of humanitarian

education actors as well as active and potential

development partners. This will contribute to

responsive expert planning and programme

implementation led by the education sector at

national and district levels. UNHCR aims to ensure

that education for refugees is included in education

sector planning goals, prepares students to succeed

in national systems wherever they live, and addresses

the particular need of students in short-, medium- and

long-term scenarios.

There is significant sector expertise among

host country governments, communities, donor

governments, multi-donor initiatives, UN

agencies, international organizations, national

and international NGOs, global networks, teacher

unions, the private sector, academic networks, and

community- and faith-based organizations. UNHCR

will act to facilitate the identification, expansion,

support, mobilization, and leveraging of that expertise

in meaningful ways for the benefit of all students in

displacement areas to bring concentrated results for

all learners.

Refugees, asylum seekers, returnees and stateless

persons often settle in underserved regions

or neighborhoods. UNHCR will engage with

development education partners not traditionally

involved in “humanitarian” education responses

to extend or amplify development programming

and support to regions where refugees settle, or to

populations that planning did not originally address.

Partnerships and collaborations with development

organizations that specialize in the domains of early

childhood education, education for girls and women,

accelerated education, language education, peace

education, connected education, TVET and education

that meets the learning requirements of students

with disabilities will increase education quality for all

learners in areas where refugees settle, demonstrate

the promise of SDG4 and GCR, and contribute to

conditions that increase opportunities for social

cohesion.

CONNECTED EDUCATION

Connected Education focuses on establishing

new linkages between people, information

and ideas through the use of innovative

pedagogical approaches, community-led

design techniques and diverse convening

platforms. Where applicable, connected

education also utilizes new digital tools

and connectivity networks. Through these

approaches connected education can both

expand access to and enhance the quality of

education (UNHCR 2017).

30 REFUGEE EDUCATION 2030

GOOD PRACTICE BMZ IN ETHIOPIA

On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for

Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ),31

the German Agency for International Cooperation

(GIZ)32 has been active in the TVET sector in Ethiopia

for decades. In 2018 it launched an extension of an

existing Ethiopian TVET improvement programme in

refugee regions. The Qualifications and Employment Perspectives for Refugees and Host Communities in Ethiopia Programme (QEP) aims to support the

government’s pledges to the Global Compact

and specifically “to improve employment-related

TVET opportunities available to refugees and the

local population.” The equal consideration of both

groups in the programme amplification furthers

the government’s plan for education and economic

inclusion of refugees and increases the stability of

host communities.

GOOD PRACTICE INSTANT NETWORK SCHOOL PROGRAMMEThe Instant Network School (INS) programme

has enabled refugee youth to lead the design and

development of innovative learning centers that are

based within their schools and community centers.

Prior to the launch of an INS, a community driven

design session is held to start the iterative innovation

process. Through this process the community-

centered design process is applied through a series of

interactive planning sessions and by creating low-

fidelity prototypes that support youth to take the lead

on determining the parameters of the INS design, and

to determine the feasibility of local adaptations to

support effective INS implementation.

GOOD PRACTICE HUMANITARIAN INITIATIVES IN DEVELOPMENT SPACESWith financial support from Education Cannot

Wait (ECW), in 2018 education partners in Ethiopia

began construction of two new secondary schools

in Tsore and Bambasi, where host communities have

welcomed refugees, and where students can share

secondary school services. Tsore Model Inclusive

Secondary school and Bambasi Model Inclusive

Secondary School are scheduled to welcome students

in the 2019-2020 school year.

GOOD PRACTICE REGIONAL INITATIATIVES

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development

(IGAD) is a trade bloc comprised of Djibouti, Ethiopia,

Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, the Sudan, South Sudan and

Uganda, headquartered in Djibouti. The founding

leaders of IGAD were motivated by a vision where

the people of the region would develop a regional

identity, live in peace and enjoy a safe environment

alleviating poverty through appropriate and effective

sustainable development programmes. The IGAD

Secretariat as the executive body of the Authority

was given the mandate to achieve this goal. In 2017 it

published The Djibouti Declaration, which specifically

addresses “Regional quality Education Standards

and Inclusion into National systems for refugee

children in line with CRRF, SDG4 and Agenda 2063 on

Education.” In a December 2018 meeting dedicated

to addressing specific elements in the Djibouti Plan

of Action on Refugee Education in IGAD Member

States, UNESCO presented a summary analysis of

the state of determinants for equivalency in IGAD. In

2019, in collaboration with member state ministries

of education and UNHCR, UNESCO committed to

work on mapping the state and means of determining

equivalencies across education cycles from primary

through tertiary in each IGAD member state for

subsequent implementation.

A Strategy for Refugee Inclusion 31

COLLABORATIVE LEARNING AND CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT

Support to education activities, and advocacy or

collaboration with partners on education issues and

related sector planning and data collection, can provide

people and organizations with skills and knowledge that

can facilitate coherent, sustainable inclusion of refugees

in national education systems. This includes fostering

environments that support learning and creating

conditions in which children and youth can use their

education towards livelihoods, community development,

self-reliance, and peaceful coexistence. Collaborative

learning and capacity development focus on sharing

expertise and areas of strength across partners in order

to catalyze growth for all. Its aim is both across sectors

and across divisions within UNHCR, and externally

with partners, including persons of concern and host

communities, host country governments, humanitarian

and development actors, donor governments, civil

society organisations and the private sector.

INNOVATION, EVIDENCE AND GROWTH

UNHCR encourages evidence-based innovative

practices in education, explorations that test new

approaches, and judicious attempts to scale proven

education innovations. It favours community-driven

design approaches that allow for trial and error,

and that contribute to sustainable education policy

and programme improvements. It recognizes the

opportunities that an innovation process provides

to identify and refine new approaches that improve

access to education for all children and youth. This

also includes leveraging advancements in education

technologies and tools that improve access and quality

for all students including those with disabilities. It also

supports initiatives that prepare communities for the

future, adapting progressively to the new skills and

competencies required to increase education, social and

economic opportunities within an increasingly digitized

world.

In addition, UNHCR encourages collaborative

monitoring, reporting, evaluation and research to enable

development and improvements as a basis for UNHCR’s

global expertise on education policies and programmes

for refugee and stateless children and youth. Especially

important are the catalyzing partnerships that focus

on systematic collection of quantitative and qualitative

learning data that is disaggregated by legal status,

gender and disability.

We will embrace innovation and change to pursue these Strategic Directions by leveraging creative ideas, brokering key partnerships and developing services, platforms and products to drive the institutional change we need - with the ultimate aim of ensuring that the people we are trying to help have more control over their lives. We will aim to design and develop scaled solutions, working toward a world in which refugees can access and manage their own digital identity, gain accredited online education, support their families and communicate effectively through improved connectivity.”

Strategic Directions 2017-2021

32 REFUGEE EDUCATION 2030

The Incheon Declaration, adopted by UN member

states in the process of developing the SDGs,

committed explicitly to the inclusion of refugee and

internally displaced children and youth among the

‘all boys and girls’, ‘all youth’, ‘all women and men’

targeted in the goals of Sustainable Development

Goal 4, which challenges governments, donors and

civil society to:

1. Ensure that all girls and boys complete free,

equitable and quality primary and secondary

education leading to relevant and effective

learning outcomes

2. Ensure that all girls and boys have access to

quality early childhood development, care and

pre-primary education so that they are ready for

primary education

3. Ensure equal access for all women and men to

affordable and quality technical, vocational and

tertiary education, including university

4. Ensure equal access for all women and men to

affordable and quality technical, vocational and

tertiary education, including university

5. Substantially increase the number of youth and

adults who have relevant skills, including technical

and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs

and entrepreneurship

6. Eliminate gender disparities in education and

ensure equal access to all levels of education and

vocational training for the vulnerable, including

persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and

children in vulnerable situations

7. Ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion

of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy

and numeracy

8. Ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge

and skills needed to promote sustainable

development, including, among others, through

education for sustainable development and

sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender

equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-

violence, global citizenship and appreciation of

cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to

sustainable development

How can those with a responsibility for or interest

in supporting greater access to quality education for

refugees, stateless and other displaced populations

and their host communities support the focus on

equity?

In the context of this strategy, “equitable” is

understood in several ways. First, as equal to the

state of inclusion available to host communities.

Second, as acutely attentive to the participation

and success of female students, learners with

disabilities, stateless students and those who

have missed out on all or many years of school.

Third, as strengthening basic service availability

through the lens of SDG4, by harnessing

humanitarian education action effectively,

and by bolstering the system locally through

concentrated development support in targeted

geographic areas.

GOVERNMENTSEstablish dedicated policy regarding refugee-inclusive

national education systems that:

• outlines positions, approaches and procedures

• guides national, district and local authorities

• guides humanitarian and development action

during emergencies and crises

• presents programme approaches to challenges

regarding equitable participation of women, girls

and learners with disabilities

Proactive and explicit policy on inclusion of refugees,

stateless and other displaced people in national

systems will guide education sector planning and the

actions of humanitarian and development actors in

response to sector goals. Preparedness measures

embedded in education sector planning, and

processes such as annual sector reviews that include

the voices and experiences of refugees, stateless and

other displaced peoples, can facilitate responsive and

systemic support to schools and learners that aligns

with and contributes to education sector goals.

WHO CAN HELP AND HOW?

A Strategy for Refugee Inclusion 33

INTERGOVERNMENTAL/REGIONAL ORGANISATIONS

Provide dedicated technical support so that economic

and linguistic partner countries can adopt harmonized

and practical cross-border and regional measures

that:

• ensure quality assurance and certification

mechanisms

• identify proxy documentation/processes

recognized at the school-level for access to schools,

examinations and examination results

• assess prior learning, cycle completion and

certification equivalencies

• adopt harmonized approaches to engaging

qualified refugee teachers in national system

schools

• practically address local challenges regarding

equitable participation of women, girls and

learners with disabilities

Regional bodies can additionally:

• adopt harmonized approaches to orientation

programming during emergency phases that

harnesses preparedness planning for sustainable

results, especially regionally comparable language

training programmes and accredited accelerated

education that can also benefit local children in

crisis affected regions

• adopt harmonized approaches to teacher

preparedness through inclusion of protection

modules specific to crisis-affected populations in

pre- and in-service teacher training programmes

In 2017, more than 80% of refugees were living

in countries that neighbor their home countries.33

When crises are acute, people frequently can’t gather

essential identification and certification documents

for any or all family members prior to crossing

a border for international protection. Refugees

eventually become returnees. If they’ve been able to

continue certified education in host countries, their

return will represent a benefit for the home country,

in particular regarding economic independence and

social resilience.

DONORS / MULTI-LATERAL / BI-LATERAL ORGANISATIONS

Promote humanitarian and development education

support that aligns with education sector planning

goals and contributes to system strengthening in

crisis affected regions. Concentrate focus on local

challenges regarding equitable participation of

women, girls and learners with disabilities. Respond

to the predictable and equitable burden- and

responsibility-sharing vision reflected in the Global

Compact on Refugees. Examples of effective action

could include:

• amplify and extend existing evidence-based

development education programmes to refugee

hosting schools and districts. This includes

investing in inclusive education systems in refugee-

hosting schools and districts, to improve access

by girls, young women, children and youth with

disabilities and other groups at risk of exclusion in

refugee and host communities

• invest in programme monitoring and evaluation

that is sensitive not only to programme outcomes,

but protection and opportunity outcomes

• engage local and international experts in evaluative

research for peer review that contributes to the

evidence base on programme and policy actions

that contribute to meaningful inclusion of refugee

populations in specific contexts

• advocate for systematic inclusion of refugees,

stateless and other displaced people in regional

and sector planning

• examine programme contributions in countries

of refugee origin to ensure home systems and the

conditions for peace are nurtured side by side with

conditions for inclusion in host country national

systems

• continue investigation of flexible financing

structures that enable governments to strengthen

their ability to respond to the education needs of

refugee and host communities

• ensure contributions enhance Multiplier Fund

opportunities for governments in countries where

the Global Partnership for Education is active in

education sector coordination

34 REFUGEE EDUCATION 2030

• advocate at country level for inclusion of education

in the World Bank’s IDA refugee window planning

and assessments related to planning

• report achievements to ministry of education

planning departments so that they can be

accounted for in relation to national strategies

and action plans. Demonstrated alignment and

contributions to sector plans provide justification

for ministries to disperse emergency funding

to affected regions for recurrent costs, and

governments to advocate with donors for

increased funding for crisis affected regions

Adopting policy and practices that result in

meaningful inclusion in national education systems

within three months of displacement requires

coherence between humanitarian and development

partners within countries, but also within and across

individual donor structures.

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INTERNATIONAL NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS

Adapt emergency and recovery education

programmes so that they contribute directly to

education sector development goals in crisis affected

regions for the benefit of all learners. Concentrate

focus on local challenges regarding equitable

participation of women, girls and learners with

disabilities. Respond to the predictable and equitable

burden- and responsibility-sharing vision reflected in

the Global Compact on Refugees:

• amplify and extend existing evidence-based

development education programmes to refugee

hosting schools and districts

• develop fundraising strategies that allow prolonged

involvement to be self-funded

• contextualize branded emergency education

programming in each country context so that

it aligns with and contributes to the delivery

of national education sector plan goals in crisis

affected regions

A Strategy for Refugee Inclusion 35

• focus on programmes that contribute to successful

inclusion in national systems during emergency

phases, such as intensive language and literacy

programming, or amplified accredited accelerated

education programming

• support harmonisation, expansion and

strengthening of non-formal and accelerated

education options under supervision of national

authorities

• contribute to non-recurrent cost projects such

as school expansion where refugees and host

communities can all benefit, and harmonize with

other INGOs and NGOs on collaborative projects

where single funding sources are insufficient

• incentivize communities through sustainable

programmes connected to education that will

remain despite any reduction in humanitarian

funding, such as community-led sport

programming, homework groups, community-

based childcare and early childhood education and

classroom mentors and aides

• support governments to extend national grade

placement processes in crisis-affected regions

to identify learning needs and programmes for

displaced and host children and youth, and to and

reduce overcrowding in lower grades

• align skills-training programmes so that they lead

to certified professional and TVET education

access

International non-governmental organizations

frequently work in close contact with displaced

populations in specific locations for time-bound grant

or programme durations. Harnessing that community

contact in the brief window of funding available for

emergency education, and dedicated contact during

delivery of development programing, can result in a

significant contribution to resilience for populations

that are frequently displaced for a full school cycle.

Short-term branded programmes facilitate

emergency education proposal writing and rapid

programme delivery, but they are not always fit to

purpose past the initial emergency phase. Greater

focus on the learning issues that can be barriers to

successful inclusion will have significant long-term

academic and social benefits for both refugees and

host community learners.

PRIVATE SECTOR AND FOUNDATIONSThe private sector has important experience to share

with the humanitarian and development education

sectors. Work alongside governments to contribute

resources and expertise to education programmes

in refugee hosting districts; drive local innovation

and meaningful scaling of successful innovations that

align with the goals and local delivery challenges of

country-specific Education Sector Planning; attend

to specific local challenges related to equitable

participation of women, girls and learners with

disabilities; ensure contributions enhance the quality

and inclusiveness of national education systems and

facilitate access for all learners including refugees,

stateless and other displaced people across primary,

secondary and tertiary education; respond to the

predictable and equitable burden- and responsibility-

sharing vision reflected in the Global Compact on

Refugees:

• amplify and extend existing evidence-based not-for

profit education programme support to refugee

hosting schools and districts

• include local communities and populations of

concern in programme design, delivery, monitoring

and maintenance. This includes systematic

consultation with groups at risk of exclusion, such

as girls, young women, people with disabilities, and

LGTBI people to identify innovative solutions that

will benefit all learners

• align programme offers to education sector plan

goals

• assure meaningful monitoring and evaluation

and longitudinal university-based research

that supports programme modification and

contributions to the evidence base on what works

for education in crisis affected programme regions

• encourage programme innovation and share

lessons learned from both successful and

unsuccessful initiatives

• support experimental scaling across regions,

countries, and/or population cohorts for

programmes that have demonstrated success

• in countries where the Global Partnership for

Education is supporting the education sector,

ensure visible sector contributions that can

enhance Multiplier Fund opportunities for

governments

36 REFUGEE EDUCATION 2030

• report achievements to education planning

authorities so that they can be accounted for in

relation to national strategies and action plans

• avoid investment in for-profit private education, in

alignment with the Abidjan Principles

INDIVIDUAL PHILANTHROPISTSSupport evidence-based innovations and project

scaling that align with the goals and local delivery

challenges of country-specific education sector

strategies and plans.

• incentivize inclusion of refugees, stateless and

other displaced populations through dedicated

increases in programme support envelopes in

refugee hosting regions

• align programme offers to delivery on SDG4, the

Global Compact on Refugees, refugee-inclusive

national systems and education sector strategy or

plan goals in specific country contexts

• assure meaningful monitoring and evaluation

and longitudinal university-based research

that supports programme modification and

contributions to the evidence base on what works

for education in crisis affected programme regions

NATIONAL CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS (CSO)• ensure host communities understand and advocate

for support that strengthens the education system

for all learners

• ensure the voices of host communities, including

those of women and people with disabilities, are

accounted for in community contributions to local

education system strengthening

• participate in the implementation as well as

monitoring and evaluation of the programme

implementation and achievements

ACADEMIC NETWORKSSupport evidence-building, evidence-based planning

and programming and accessible, affordable tertiary

learning opportunities for refugees, stateless

and other displaced populations as well as host

community learners.

• systemically include academic researchers and

institutions from refugee hosting regions, as well as

refugees, as co-researchers in projects that address

education programming in their communities

• document and provide longitudinal analyses of

refugee education responses to support effective

humanitarian and development collaboration that

benefits all learners in refugee hosting regions

• document changes in government and partner

approaches to Education in Emergencies as a result

of the 2019 revision of the INEE principles34

• examine the goals of the Global Compact on

Refugees, and support conceptualization of

meaningful community- and country specific

questions, related methodologies and innovative

data collection methods that can contribute to

evidence building on pertinent outcomes

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A Strategy for Refugee Inclusion 37

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38 REFUGEE EDUCATION 2030

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

UNHCR would like to express its gratitude for the

opportunities to learn from and work with ministry of

education planning officials, Local Education Groups,

civil society, and UNESCO-IIEP at several workshops

dedicated to refugee-inclusive and crisis-sensitive

planning that took place between November 2017

and January 2019, and that contributed to the

content, direction and approach of this strategy.

Particular thanks in that regard are extended to the

ministries of education of Burundi, Burkina Faso,

Cameroon, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the

Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi,

Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of Congo,

Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan,

Uganda, and Zambia. Additional lessons learned

through the proactive leadership and actions of

ministries of education in Ecuador, Egypt, Iran,

Jordan, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Pakistan,

Thailand and Turkey also inform this strategy.

Many thanks to the global education community

that took the time to read two very different drafts

and provide formal feedback during scheduled

consultation periods in 2018 and 2019. Many of

those who could not participate during that period

were able to provide informal feedback through

opportunities presented by meetings and workshops

at global, regional, national and local levels. Particular

thanks to: the African Development Bank; African

Union; Agence française de développement; the

Al Ghurair Foundation for Education; Building

Tomorrow; the Bureau of Population, Refugees

and Migration; the Connected Learning in Crisis

Consortium (CLCC); the Department for International

Development (DFID); Dubai Cares; Education

Above All; Education Cannot Wait (ECW); Education

International; the European Union; the German

Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Global Affairs Canada;

the Global Education Cluster; the Global Education

Monitoring Report; the Global Partnership for

Education; the Interagency Network on Education

in Emergencies (INEE); the Intergovernmental

Authority on Development (IGAD); the International

Rescue Committee; the Lutheran World Federation;

the Jesuit Refugee Service; La Organizacion de

Estados Iberoamericanos; Norwegian Agency for

Development Cooperation; the Norwegian Refugee

Council; Porticus Foundation; Save the Children;

the Swedish International Development Agency;

UNESCO, UNESCO-IICBA, UNESCO-IIEP and

UNESCO-UIS; UNICEF; UNRWA; USAID; War Child;

Windle Trust; World Bank Education Global Practice

and Fragility, Conflict and Violence teams; World

University Services Canada; Youth delegates and

representatives from the SDG4 Steering Committee

and the refugee-led Global Youth Advisory Council.

Finally, a special thanks to Sarah Dryden-Peterson

who worked extensively with the UNHCR Education

Section in 2018 on the initial consultations and

strategy drafts.

A Strategy for Refugee Inclusion 39

ACRONYMS

AEWG Accelerated Education

Working Group

BMZ Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (the

German Federal Ministry of Economic

Cooperation and Development)

CBI Cash based intervention

CESA 16-25 Continental Education Strategy for

Africa 2016-2015

CLCC Connected Learning in Crisis

Consortium

CRRF Comprehensive Refugee Response

Framework

CSO Civil society organization

DAFI Albert Einstein German Academic

Refugee Initiative

DFID Department for International

Development (UK)

EAA Education Above All

ECE Early Childhood Education

ECW Education Cannot Wait

EMIS Education Management Information

Systems

ERP Education Response Plan (Uganda)

ESP Education Sector Plan

ESSP Education Sector Strategic Plan

GCR Global Compact on Refugees

GIZ Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (German Corporation

for International Cooperation)

ICT Information, communication and

technology

IDP Internally displaced person

IGAD Intergovernmental Authority on

Development (East Africa)

INEE Interagency Network on Education in

Emergencies

INGO International non-governmental

organization

INS Instant network school

LEG Local Education Groups (education

sector planning groups)

M & E Monitoring and evaluation

MoE Ministry of Education

MoNE Ministry of National Education (Turkey)

NGO Non-governmental organization

QEP Qualifications and Employment Perspectives for Refugees and Host Communities in Ethiopia Programme

PTA Parent Teacher Associations

SDG4 Sustainable Development Goal 4

(Education)

SEL Social and emotional learning

SGBV Sexual and gender based violence

TVET Technical and Vocational Education and

Training

UIS UNESCO Institute for Statistics

UNDAF United Nations Framework for

Assistance

UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific

and Cultural Organization

UNESCO-IIEP International Institute of Educational

Planning

UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for

Refugees

UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund

UNRWA United Nations Relief and Works Agency

USAID United States Agency for International

Development

WASH Water, sanitation and hygiene

40 REFUGEE EDUCATION 2030

APPENDIX A. At a Glance: Objectives and Expected Results

Strategic Objective 1: Promote equitable and sustainable inclusion in national education systems for

refugees, asylum seekers, returnees, stateless and internally displaced persons

Expected Result 1 By inclusion in:

National policy

and emergency

preparedness create

the conditions to

include forcibly

displaced and

stateless children and

youth in schools and

programmes registered

with the ministry of

education.

national education policy

national development plans and strategies, including planning for deployment of

teachers and other education personnel

national and subnational education sector plans

national education sector assessments and joint reviews

national budgeting for education

Education Management Information Systems (EMIS)

Expected Result 2 So that:

Approaches to

education in the

humanitarian and

development sectors

are harmonized for

inclusion.

planning and budgetary processes are multi-year, cover all phases of displacement

from emergency through protracted situations, and take into account learning needs

for successful inclusion

international and domestic financing to support inclusion approaches is sustained

and predictable

Expected Result 3 This means that all learners:

Children and youth

have access to all

levels of formal and

non-formal education

within national

education systems

and under the same

conditions as nationals.

have documentation that provides equal access to school and examinations, or are

accommodated when documentation is missing

are accounted for in education sector planning

receive recognition of prior learning and support to make up for gaps in studies

receive certification for their studies that can be recognized in multiple contexts

have unsegregated access to schools where they are learning together with national

children and youth

are supported in developing relationships with national peers and qualified teachers

are able to benefit from innovative education programming, including connected or

digital initiatives

have access to any assistance available that supports children and youth at risk of

exclusion, including girls, young women and people with disabilities

have access to equitable fee structures, free movement and systems for recognizing

prior learning to enable progression into tertiary education

have equitable access to school health programmes

have access to vaccinations and vaccination certificates (regardless of school

registration requirements, but also to ensure lack of vaccination and proof of

vaccination do not become a barrier to school registration)

A Strategy for Refugee Inclusion 41

Expected Result 4 This means:

In situations where the legal

framework and policy environment

is not yet conducive to inclusion

within national systems, non-formal

education programming and learning

assessment should be harmonized

across partners and align with host

country curricula and methods to

the greatest degree possible. This

will facilitate a recognizable pathway

to equating the content of studies

through ministry of education

processes when conditions are

favourable.

efforts should be complemented by advocacy at all levels and across all

global and national partnerships for greater inclusion

Expected Result 5 This includes access to:

Alternative pathways to education

will be accessible in situations where

formal academic education within

national systems does not meet

the learning needs of displaced or

stateless out-of-school and/or over-

age children and youth and their host

communities, including those with

disabilities.

dedicated programming to address missed schooling and language

differences

dedicated support to address the learning requirements of students

with disabilities, with a pathway to inclusion in the formal education

system

accredited Accelerated Education Programmes within national

education systems

literacy programmes, linked with national literacy initiatives

accredited short-term and bridging programmes embedded within

national initiatives

connected education programmes

42 REFUGEE EDUCATION 2030

Strategic Objective 2: Foster safe enabling environments that support learning for all students, regardless of

legal status, gender or disability.

Expected Result 1 Children and youth:

Children and youth are

prepared to learn and

succeed in national

education systems.

are supported to make up for missed schooling in preparation for entering formal

education at age-appropriate levels

are provided with adequate language training where necessary

will be provided with conditions that foster social and emotional learning (SEL), and

where needed, receive mental health and psychosocial support, allowing them to

concentrate, learn and develop healthy relationships

receive any supports required to enable their access to the education system,

including assistive technology and accessible learning materials

are taught by teachers who have been adequately prepared to include refugee

children and learners with diverse learning requirements, including children and

youth with disabilities

Expected Result 2 Learning environments make sure that:

Learning environments

are safe.

students and educators are prepared to identify and report sexual and gender-based

violence (SGBV) risks and know where to find help to address their mental health and

psychosocial concerns

conditions that encourage female participation are in place. These include pro-

active training and recruitment of female teachers; safely managed WASH facilities

including appropriate menstrual hygiene management facilities for girls, in

accordance with SDG 6; access to information on hygiene and reproductive health;

girls-only spaces for studying and socializing; equitable representation in all decision-

making

schools respect diversity and commit to protecting learners of all ethnicities and

identities

student data is safeguarded to ensure the protection of individual students and

communities, as required

travel to and from school is safe and accessible for all children, including girls, young

women and students with disabilities

Expected Result 3 So that:

Learning environments

are accessible to all.

learning and WASH facilities enable equitable use by all learners, including learners

with disabilities

educators understand the learning and social challenges of learners with disabilities

and are supported to meet their diverse needs through flexible curricula, teaching

and learning materials and adapted procedures for completing exams

students with disabilities are provided with opportunities to build protective peer

networks with other children and youth

learning spaces leverage digital technologies to reach students studying with

blended learning programmes, to promote individualized learning experiences and to

accommodate student needs

learning environments utilize innovative pedagogical practices and platforms to

improve the quality and accessibility of education for all students, including those

with disabilities

A Strategy for Refugee Inclusion 43

Strategic Objective 3. Enable all learners to use their education toward sustainable futures

Expected Result 1 All children and youth are able to:

Children and youth

complete their

education with

relevant skills,

knowledge and

competencies.

transition to subsequent levels of education

enter the world of work with fair and decent employment for which they are qualified

increase self-reliance

participate actively in communities (local, global and digital)

practice and foster peaceful coexistence

serve as environmental champions for their communities

contribute to an increasingly digitalized world both economically and socially

benefit from a sense of belonging wherever they live

play an active role in advocating for and developing solutions that contribute to

sustainable futures both nationally and globally

become critical consumers and creators of media in a variety of forms

Expected Result 2 Girls and women are able to:

Girls and women

have equitable

opportunities for and

access to education,

work, community

representation and

leadership.

benefit from programming designed in response to gender analyses embedded in

education sector assessments and monitoring

benefit equitably from community- or school-based early childhood education

programmes

complete primary and secondary school on par with boys

pursue and complete tertiary education on par with men at all levels, including TVET

be safe on the way to school, in school and within families and communities

engage in labour market opportunities and apprenticeships, including in technical,

professional and other fields not traditionally open to women

exercise ownership over management and control of household resources and cash-

based interventions (CBI)

access sustainable fuels to support environmental management and to diminish the

need for fuel collection, and where these are not yet available, share fuel collection

duties equally with boys and men during non-school hours

obtain individual registration and documentation, directly or through support

provided by UNHCR

44 REFUGEE EDUCATION 2030

APPENDIX B. Approaches to enable equitable and sustainable inclusion in national education systems

PARTNERSHIPS

» United Nations Development Assistance

Framework (UNDAF) planning and National

Development Plans account for displaced

populations and education inclusion.

» Education Sector Plans systematically include

refugee, returnee and stateless persons. Partner

policy, programming, assessment and monitoring

frameworks, grant criteria and eligibility

requirements facilitate sustainable inclusion of all

children and youth in national education systems.

» Humanitarian partners responding during

emergencies align their actions with the goals of

existing crisis sensitive planning and education

sector strategies and plans.

»Working groups, networks and consortiums

contribute to enhanced knowledge and resource

sharing for policies and practices on education for

displaced people.

» States and other relevant stakeholders coordinate

to contribute resources and expertise to expand

and enhance the quality and inclusiveness of

national education systems so that they can

welcome students regardless of legal status,

gender or disability.

» Joint education initiatives with existing and new

partners are encouraged and undertaken, including

assessments, reviews, programming, research and

follow-up activities.

COLLABORATIVE LEARNING AND CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT

» The leadership of ministries of education, sub-

national education authorities, and other relevant

ministries (e.g. ministry of finance, ministry of social

affairs) is supported by enhanced partnerships to

include displaced children and youth in national

education sector planning and implementation.

» Ministries of education are supported to include

education for displaced populations in disaster risk

reduction, contingency, and emergency response

strategies and plans that articulate with national

education sector strategies and plans.

» Displacement and statelessness experts are

represented in regional advocacy and national

education sector planning processes.

» Knowledge sharing and training for national

education actors on refugee law and statelessness,

and other legal and rights instruments, is enhanced

and contributes to greater understanding of

protection considerations and specific barriers to

education for persons of concern.

» Joint case studies on promising practices in

policymaking for inclusion are collaboratively

produced and disseminated.

» Collaboration and capacity to provide equitable

access to and retention in education are amplified.

» Teacher deficits are addressed through

collaborative, context-appropriate and innovative

ways of expanding, training and financing a larger

education workforce.

» Governments receive support to put in place

and strengthen measures to recognize the

qualifications and prior learning of persons of

concern and to establish learning equivalencies

that facilitate age-appropriate class placement.

A Strategy for Refugee Inclusion 45

CASH FOR EDUCATION

• When payment for education is required,

use cash assistance whenever possible to

facilitate access to and retention of all

persons of concern in education at all levels.

• Move from conditional to unconditional cash

transfers when the barriers to education are

financial.

• Make cash for education part of cash

for basic needs and thus include it in the

minimum expenditure basket as a top-up.

• Always monetize school supplies (school

kits, uniforms etc.) in situations where a cash

transfer mechanism and markets are available.

• Provide support to school fees and PTA levies

directly to the household when possible to

empower refugee parents and caregivers to

engage in the school community and PTA.

• Implement cash for education directly,

for example, by the existing cash transfer

mechanism available in the country rather

than having a partner provide the cash.

• Ensure a communication strategy for cash

for education so that the targeted population

is clear on the payment schedule, targeting,

timeframe and expectations.

Excerpt from Cash for Education: Direction

and Key Considerations (UNHCR, 2018)37

» Governments are supported to put in place

certified accelerated programmes for language or

missed education that facilitate entry or re-entry

into formal education.

» Governments and partners increase the number of

schools in areas where current infrastructure is not

meeting needs, including the construction of ICT

and other labs necessary to complete secondary

schooling requirements.

»When travel to school is a protection concern for

girls and young women, or a barrier to participation

for students far from schools or with disabilities,

provide sustainable transport solutions

» Identify local solutions to economic barriers

related to education access through context-

appropriate advocacy and assistance. Address the

need for school supplies, uniforms, textbooks and

other school materials through programmes such

as cash transfers or other community-led solutions.

» Create conducive access conditions for

marginalized or underrepresented groups such

as female students, ethnic, linguistic, and sexual

minorities, students with special needs and overage

learners. Deliver safe learning environment

programmes through hygiene facilities, childcare

for young mothers, support for pregnant

adolescents to remain in school and through

meaningful decision-making on Parent Teacher

Committees and School Management Committees.

At the heart of this approach is the idea that refugees should be included in the communities from the very beginning. When refugees gain access to education and labour markets, they can build their skills and become self-reliant, contributing to local economies and fueling the development of the communities hosting them. Allowing refugees to benefit from national services and integrating them into national development plans is essential for both refugees and the communities hosting them and is consistent with the pledge to ‘leave no one behind’ in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”

Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework

46 REFUGEE EDUCATION 2030

» Provide support for livelihoods opportunities

for parents to enable their children to stay in

school.

» Information and promising practices on

protection considerations for increasing access

to tertiary education are shared in national,

regional and global collaborations, including

equitable fee structures, credential issues,

geographical and movement restrictions.

» Information and promising practices on

tertiary education are shared in national,

regional and global collaborations, including

scholarship programmes and connected

education opportunities, to expand the number

of displaced students who access tertiary

education.

» Provide refugee, asylum seeker, returnee and

stateless youth the necessary support services

to ensure successful completion of tertiary

education, including mentorship, psychosocial

support and network building.

» Grow connected education opportunities

accessible to refugee, asylum seeker, returnee

and stateless youth, working through the

CLCC to establish good practices, shared

data management systems and accreditation

processes, such as blended learning

programmes that align with CLCC standards.

»Work collaboratively to develop context-

specific measures and programmes that

improve access for out-of-school children

and youth and lead to inclusion in the formal

education system.

INNOVATION, EVIDENCE AND GROWTH

» The participation and learning outcomes of

displaced learners are captured for national

planning, and inform advocacy, budgeting and

amplified sector funding.

» Evidence-based programming and critical

analysis of education that contributes to

sustainable futures for displaced populations

is supported by a range of collaborations that

include academic and research institutions.

DAFI PROGRAMME

The DAFI scholarship programme, with core funding

from the German Government, has sponsored over

15,500 young refugee women and men to obtain higher

education in their countries of asylum since its incep-

tion in 1992.

In 2018, the DAFI programme sponsored 6,866 refugee

scholars across 768 higher education institutions in

51 countries. The regional distribution of scholarships

reflects global conflict environments and refugee move-

ments, with programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa hosting

the largest share of DAFI students (42%), followed

closely by the Middle East and North Africa region

(33%).

The DAFI programme provides eligible refugee stu-

dents with four years of scholarship, covering their

tuition fees and full living costs. Furthermore, recognis-

ing the continued challenges that refugee students face

pursuing education in their host countries, the DAFI

programme also offers a support structure that extends

beyond academics. Depending on the needs of the

student cohort, language classes, psychosocial support,

academic bridging courses, career readiness workshops

and ICT trainings are offered, supporting each student

to succeed regardless of the challenges they have faced

through displacement. As a result, the programme has a

consistently low student drop-out rate (3% in 2018).

In 2018, 73% of DAFI scholars enrolled in a public high-

er education institution. Prioritizing public university

enrolment means DAFI funds contribute to national ed-

ucation systems and enable refugee students to study

in nationally accredited degree programmes alongside

their host country peers. The DAFI programme also

advocates with ministries of education and higher

education institutions so that refugees pay national

rather than international tuition. Because of this, more

refugees have the opportunity to access higher educa-

tion opportunities in their countries of asylum.

In recent years, the DAFI programme has been

strengthening the bridge between higher education and

economic inclusion for refugees. Creation of graduate

networks, internship facilitation, career and entrepre-

neurship training and opportunities related to technical

and vocational training all contribute to supporting

graduates to find meaningful, skilled and sustainable

employment. The DAFI+ Programme is one example of

amplified DAFI scholarship programming in this area.

A Strategy for Refugee Inclusion 47

PARTNERSHIPS

» Humanitarian partners provide support to

governments to identify and address the education

gaps of displaced children and youth, in preparation

for entering national education systems.

» Ministries of education are supported by

development partners to prioritize safe learning

environments.

» Expand partnerships with host country

governments and education sector partners to

increase the education workforce and include

qualified refugee teachers, in order to serve

increased student populations, reduce class size

in accordance with national standards, and create

opportunities for teachers to know their students

and their students’ learning needs.

» Develop partnerships with pre-service and in-

service teacher training institutes, NGOs, and

other providers in host countries that support

national teacher training. Advocate for and support

development of pre-service and in-service training

modules and approaches that address the learning

needs of national and displaced students. These

modules should include conflict-sensitive curricula

and pedagogy, language of instruction, assessment,

social cohesion and protection.

» Partner with child protection services and

community-based structures to establish, train or

otherwise support referral mechanisms that can

address the mental health and psychosocial needs

of displaced communities.

» Strengthen mechanisms for refugee teachers

to work with refugee children and youth within

national schools, augmenting learning through

identity- and experience-based connections and

the development of trusting relationships.

» Engage displaced community members, including

parents, youth, and teachers, in creating

opportunities for children and youth to maintain

their home languages where relevant.

COLLABORATIVE LEARNING AND CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT

»Work with displaced communities and

humanitarian and development partners to create

awareness and understanding of the importance of

family participation in their children’s learning, e.g.

through mass media, broadcasting and parenting

initiatives.

» Support the education sector at national level

and teachers and administrators at school level to

establish and employ mechanisms to determine

school- and grade-readiness for displaced students.

» Advocate with the education sector at national

and district levels to ensure pre- and in-service

teacher training equips teachers, including refugee

teachers, to use varied forms of pedagogy to

support their students’ learning, including inclusive

and participatory pedagogies and skills to adapt

curricula as needed to meet student needs.

» Advocate for and support education sector

planning and plan revisions at national level, and

in alignment with humanitarian and development

education partner planning to:

- address the need for intensive language training

for children and youth when the language of

instruction differs from the language used in

homes and communities, so that all children and

youth can learn in national schools.

APPENDIX C. Approaches to foster environments that support learning for all students, regardless of legal status, gender or disability

48 REFUGEE EDUCATION 2030

- provide pre-service and in-service training of

all teachers, including displaced teachers, in

pedagogical strategies for language learning,

which can be applied to any first or second

languages.

- provide teachers, including refugee teachers,

with training in formative assessment practices

in order for them to continuously evaluate the

learning progress of their students and take

steps to alter their teaching practices to support

further progress toward learning goals.

- develop and implement programmes that equip

all teachers, including refugee teachers, to

foster education environments that are safe and

protective for all children and youth.

- expand provision of connected education

opportunities, leveraging information

technology to combine face-to-face and

online learning in ways that enable access to

personalized, relevant and engaging learning

from a distance.

» Support the uptake of accredited Accelerated

Education programmes in line with national

systems that ensure access to learning

opportunities for displaced and host community

children and youth. This should make

accommodations for those who are over-aged and/

or have missed out on years of schooling to gain

the skills, knowledge and qualifications they need

to transition to formal national education systems,

including professional training programmes.

INNOVATION, EVIDENCE, AND GROWTH

» During emergencies, support learning assessments

that focus on learning needs as well as material

gaps for both refugee and host community children

and youth.

» Ensure that actors involved in planning at national

and district levels have access to data to analyze

learning outcomes and estimate out of school

populations, for example by providing technical

support to facilitate the inclusion of displaced

students’ data into Education Management

Information Systems (EMIS).

» Address barriers of distance and poverty through

context-appropriate advocacy, for example,

transport, school feeding, school supplies,

textbooks or cash grants, which may be used for

these items.

» Create conducive access conditions for female

students, ethnic, linguistic, and sexual minorities,

students with special needs and overage learners,

through targeted safe learning environment

programmes; through hygiene facilities, childcare

for young mothers, support for pregnant

adolescents to remain in school; through

meaningful decision-making on Parent Teacher

Committees and School Management Committees,

and through support for livelihoods opportunities

for parents to enable youth to stay in school.

A Strategy for Refugee Inclusion 49

APPENDIX D. Approaches to enable children and youth to use education toward sustainable futures

PARTNERSHIPS

» Advocate for the right to work of displaced people

with host country governments.

» Promote freedom of movement with host country

governments so that displaced people can relocate

internally to access education and livelihood

opportunities.

»Work with host country governments and regional

bodies for policy development on recognition of

prior learning and qualifications.

» Engage the private sector, in collaboration with

governments and other partners, to design and

develop programmes that enhance the relevance of

education opportunities, and for improved access

to the labour market and other economic activities.

COLLABORATIVE LEARNING AND CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT

» Advocate for and support conflict-sensitive

national curricula, teacher training, recreational

and play-based activities that foster cohesion

within and across communities and contribute to

peace building.

» Amplify support programmes to ensure the

development of transferable and life skills including

cross-cultural communication, conflict resolution,

domestic violence prevention, sexual and

reproductive health, environmental awareness,

parenting and cultivating relationships across lines

of difference.

» Support regional economic and education

organizations, individual governments, and

professional associations to develop practical

systems for equitable recognition and equivalency

of education documents and credentials.

» Develop and support programmes that assist

children and youth to cultivate skills that allow

them to adapt to and advocate for themselves and

apply their learning in new contexts, reflecting

the solutions locally, regionally or globally that are

available to them.

» Facilitate youth-led innovation and incubation

hubs.

» Design and develop programmes to access the

labour market taking into account the current

and emerging needs of the local economy through

market evaluations or assessments that identify

and anticipate the specific hard and soft skills,

including digital literacy, needed to successfully

engage in employment opportunities.

INNOVATION, EVIDENCE AND GROWTH

» Academic and research institutions contribute to

evidence-based programming and critical analysis

of education interventions and approaches.

» Increase the engagement of displaced youth

trained and contributing to the research and

analysis on the objectives of the GCR.

» Strengthen policies and practices to promote the

development of digital and transferable skills, also

through connected and blended learning methods.

» Engage youth in all stages of planning, needs

assessment, implementation, monitoring,

evaluation, and decision-making in order to design

programmes that enable meaningful life choices.

»Work with displaced youth to build effective

relationships and networks that will allow them to

engage economically, culturally, and socially within

local and global communities.

50 REFUGEE EDUCATION 2030

APPENDIX E. Guiding Frameworks

All children have the right to education, as articulated

in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the

Convention Against Discrimination in Education, and

the International Convention on Economic, Social

and Cultural Rights. Quality education is a central

goal of education development broadly, as articulated

in Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) and

the 2030 Incheon Declaration and Framework for

Action. Access to quality education enables progress

toward productive employment for individuals and

sustainable economic growth for communities,

as articulated in Sustainable Development Goal

8 (SDG8); toward full participation in society, as

articulated in the International Convention on

Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; and toward

peaceful and inclusive societies, as articulated in

Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG16).

The right to education for refugees is asserted

in the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status

of Refugees and reaffirmed for both primary

and secondary schooling in the 2016 New York

Declaration for Refugees and Migrants. Quality

education is a central goal of the Comprehensive

Refugee Response Framework (CRRF), wherein

the United Nations General Assembly asserted the

commitment of member states to provide quality

primary and secondary education in safe learning

environments for all refugee children. The Global

Compact on Refugees reaffirms international

cooperation and solidarity toward this commitment

to quality education for all refugees and their hosting

communities.

Refugee Education 2030 is situated within these global

frameworks for the right to education, the provision

of quality education and refugee protection and

solutions in the context of national development.

A Strategy for Refugee Inclusion 51

ENDNOTES1 UN General Assembly, The Global Compact on Refugees,

17 December 2018, United Nations.

2 With the exception of UNRWA’s leadership and expertise on issues related to Palestinians.

3 Data provided by the UNESCO Institute of Statistics (UIS).

4 See UN Disability Inclusion Strategy (UNDIS) and the OCHA Guidance on strengthening disability inclusion in Humanitarian Response Plans.

5 UN General Assembly, Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons, 28 September 1954, United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 360, p. 117, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6b3840.html.

6 A more comprehensive list of key policies and frameworks is located in Appendix E.

7 UN General Assembly, Convention on the Rights of the Child, 20 November 1989, United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1577, p. 3, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6b38f0.html.

8 Sustainabledevelopment.un.org. (2019). Goal 4: Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform. [online] Available at: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdg4.

9 In the humanitarian and development education spheres, “inclusive education” is most often used to refer to education for students with disabilities. The INEE glossary differentiates between such a definition of “inclusive education,” and “inclusion”: “Inclusion emphasizes equity in access and participation and responds positively to the individual needs and competencies of all people. Across all sectors and the wider community, it actively works to ensure that every person, irrespective of gender, language, ability, religion, nationality, or other characteristics, is supported to meaningfully participate alongside his/her peers.” This is quite similar to the language used in the 1960 UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education.

10 This does not preclude the possibility of early returns when protection considerations deem return appropriate.

11 Traditionally, UNHCR defines a protracted refugee situation as one in which 25,000 or more refugees from the same nationality have been in exile for five consecutive years or more in a host country. This criterion clearly has limitations, as the refugee population in each situation changes due to new arrivals and returns that are not captured under this definition (UNHCR. 2018 Global Trends, p. 22).

12 Ibid.

13 2018 UNHCR data: • Ethiopia

– Primary school: Increase of 37% from 96,700 to 132,563 – making the 2018 enrolment percentage 72% (out of the 75% pledged)

– Secondary school: Increase of 102% from 3,785 to 7,665, making the 2018 enrolment percentage 12% (out of the 25% pledged)

– Tertiary education: 43% increase from 1,600 to 2,300 (out of the 2,500 pledged)

• Turkey– Turkey enacted laws and policies that have enabled

610,000 Syrian refugees to be enrolled in formal schooling, representing a 62% enrolment rate in 2018. A further 20,000 Syrian refugee students enrolled in higher education.

14 UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS).

15 See UN Disability Inclusion Strategy (UNDIS) and the OCHA Guidance on strengthening disability inclusion in Humanitarian Response Plans.

16 UN General Assembly, Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons, 28 September 1954, United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 360, p. 117, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6b3840.html.

17 A more comprehensive list of key policies and frameworks is located in Appendix D.

18 UN General Assembly, Convention on the Rights of the Child, 20 November 1989, United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1577, p. 3, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6b38f0.html.

19 Please see articles 68 and 69 of the Global Compact on Refugees.

20 UIS definition of informal learning: “Forms of learning that are intentional or deliberate but are not institutionalized. They are less organized and structured than either formal or non-formal education.” Lack of expert supervision, accountability and state-recognized certification that opens pathways to further educational opportunities are the specific protection risks associated with informal education that are of concern to UNHCR. Definition retrieved online. Available at: http://uis.unesco.org/node/334679 [Accessed 18 Jan. 2019].

21 https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/download/63168

22 Figures taken from data provided by the Directorate General of Migration Management: http://www.goc.gov.tr/icerik3/gecici-koruma_363_378_4713

23 https://bit.ly/2UZSrdJ

24 https://bit.ly/2urwEhG

52 REFUGEE EDUCATION 2030

25 Ministry of National Education Circular 2014/21 on Foreigners’ Access to Education. General Directorate of Basic Education, Ministry of National Education, Genelge 2014/21 [Circular 2014/21], Sept. 23, 2014, available on the Antalya Provincial Directorate of National Education website, at https://bit.ly/2P1fXJ5 (in Turkish), archived at https://perma.cc/7RD4-67KL.

26 Source: Ministry of National Education data: https://bit.ly/2MrpHdE

27 https://ec.europa.eu/neighbourhood-enlargement/sites/near/files/facility_table.pdf

28 UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2017.

29 Please refer to “Background Paper on Psychosocial Support and Social and Emotional Learning for Children and Youth in Emergency Settings,” INEE, https://bit.ly/31SSjQB, 2016

30 For guidance, please refer to UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Operational Guidance: Mental Health & Psychosocial Support Programming for Refugee Operations, UNHCR, 2013, https://www.refworld.org/docid/53a3ebfb4.html [accessed 7 August 2019

31 BMZ: Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung, The German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development.

32 GIZ: The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, the German Agency for International Cooperation.

33 UNHCR. Global Trends, 2018, p. 7.

34 INEE was conceptualized in 2000, during the Strategy Session on Education in Emergencies held at the 2000 World Education Forum. As a result, UNESCO, UNHCR, and UNICEF collectively committed to advancing Strategy Five of the Dakar Framework. They convened the first Global Consultation on Education in Emergencies (UNHCR, Geneva, November 8 – 10, 2000) together with representatives from WFP, UNDP, World Bank, bilateral donors and over 20 non-governmental organizations engaged in education in emergencies programming. In this forum, participants acknowledged the need to learn from successes and failures, share resources, develop guidelines and work collectively to uphold the right to a quality education in crises and emergencies. From these deliberations INEE emerged. Now in its 19th year, INEE has grown to a network of over 15,000 members from close to 170 organizations in 192 countries, and in 2019 was engaged in revising its principles in light of global trends and the network’s experience.

35 United Nations Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2017. Fact Sheet No. 46, “More Than One-Half of Children and Adolescents Are Not Learning Worldwide,” UIS/FS/2017/ED/46, https://bit.ly/2g1Ymgg

36 UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), UIS Fact Sheet No. 39, “The world needs almost 69 million new teachers to reach the 2030 education goals,” https://bit.ly/2ZsiNdY.

37 For guidance on cash assistance, please see UNHCR Cash-Based Interventions webpage. For cash and education examples from the field, please see Cash for Education: A global review of UNHCR programs in refugee settings

A Strategy for Refugee Inclusion 53

STATEMENTS OF SUPPORT FOR REFUGEE EDUCATION 2030: A STRATEGY FOR REFUGEE INCLUSION

THE WORLD BANK

The World Bank welcomes the UNHCR’s Refugee Education 2030: A Strategy for Refugee Inclusion. We

appreciate the depth of knowledge and experience

UNHCR brings to refugee education, the strategy’s

sharp focus on sustainable inclusive education in

national systems for refugees, and the inclusive

process with which this strategy was developed.

These are the values and priorities that we share.

The World Bank is committed to improving human

capital and addressing the global learning crisis,

including the most marginalized groups such as

refugees and internally displaced persons.

Over the past several years we have increased our

support to refugee education. We will continue

to do so by working closely together with host

governments and critical partners such as UNHCR so

that displaced children and youth can access inclusive

and safe schools, and most importantly, they can learn

necessary skills and competencies to thrive in their

communities and beyond.

Specifically, we aim to support the integration of

refugee education into host country education

systems, address psycho-social needs of refugee

students, support accelerated learning programs

for those who missed schooling, and promote early

childhood development programs as well as post-

primary and post-secondary education opportunities

for refugees. We look forward to working with

UNHCR to realize education’s promise for every

refugee child and youth.

Annette Dixon

Vice President

Human Development, The World Bank

UNICEF

Every child deserves an education, including children

on the move.

UNICEF is proud to support UNHCR’s new strategy,

Refugee Education 2030. This important new global

effort gathers governments, communities and the

private sector around the urgent need to ensure that

all refugees, and displaced or stateless children can

access the education they deserve, so they can build

the better futures they want.

By multiplying resources, scaling-up programmes

and using innovative tools to reach these children,

this strategy aims not only to ease the burden on

generous host communities sheltering them, but to

provide real avenues of opportunity for them in the

years ahead.

There is no more important global priority than

preparing children for the future they will inherit.

UNICEF calls on our global partners everywhere to

join UNHCR and UNICEF as we support these young

lives in their time of need.

Henrietta H. Fore

Executive Director, UNICEF

54 REFUGEE EDUCATION 2030

UNESCO

UNESCO supports and commends UNHCR’s new

Refugee Education 2030 strategy because we actively

promote the notion that the right to education does

not stop when people are on the move. All too often it

does, depriving millions of children, youth and adults

from pursuing their education, the starting point for

rebuilding their lives.

With global displacement at a historic high, inclusion

is the foremost urgency. This is a matter of human

rights and dignity, one that calls for international

partnership, in the spirit of the Global Compact on

Refugees. In line with Sustainable Development Goal

4, UNESCO welcomes the system-wide approach of

this strategy and stands ready to assist UNHCR in its

implementation.

We are committed to deploying our normative and

technical expertise in ensuring the full inclusion of

refugee populations in education systems. This is a

condition for fostering social cohesion, sustainable

development and peace. The UNESCO Qualifications

Passport for Refugees and Vulnerable Migrants is

one example of this ambition, helping to unlock the

positive contribution that these populations can make

to our societies.

Audrey Azoulay

Director General, UNESCO

THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR EDUCATION (GPE)

The Global Partnership for Education warmly

welcomes UNHCR’s bold new strategy that addresses

the urgent challenge of ensuring that all children

and youth affected by global displacement, including

in host communities, are included in the promise of

SDG 4. Refugee Education 2030 calls for coherent

action across humanitarian and development

responses to support inclusion of all students in host

country education systems.

GPE partners and Secretariat staff were delighted to

contribute to this excellent strategy, which accords

well with GPE’s focus on systems, as well as efforts

to bring local education actors together with the

humanitarian education cluster. UNHCR is an active

member of the GPE board.

On the basis of an MOU signed in 2016, we will

continue to work closely together on our shared

vision to ensure all displaced children and youth are

included in safe, quality learning opportunities that

promote resilience and build a foundation for a better

future.

Hon. Julia Gillard

Chair, Global Partnership for Education

For more information and enquiries, please contact:

UNHCR Education Section, UN City, Marmorvej 51,

2100 Copenhagen, Denmark, hqeduc@unhcr.org

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